As far as I can tell, the Create Link option is not included in the context menu by default because the GNOME devs feel that there are too many options in the menu, so they added a toggle in the Nautilus preferences to add it optionally. Personally, I think that preference should be removed and the Paste as Link option should always be visible in the context menu by default instead (when a file is in the clipboard that is). This should be done so file/ folder links can be created from the context menu OOTB and this would also make the option more discoverable. The keyboard shortcut to create a link from the selected file should be there for those who need the Create Link option and the option should still remain in the menu immediately to the right of the nautilus pathbar, so it can be used from a primary-click menu too.
Can you explain some use cases that requires frequently making links?
I didn’t know of many such use-cases so I asked Gemini for some frequent ones (only adding the ones that can’t be done in other ways, without creating file links in Linux and GNOME):
Organizing and Managing Files
- Linking to shared folders: Accessing files from network-shared drives or cloud storage without copying them locally.
- Managing multiple versions: Keeping multiple versions of a file accessible by creating soft links to different verisions.
- Creating symbolic backups: Creating soft links to important files for easy backup and restoration.
Development and Testing
- Linking to project directories: Quickly switching between different project directories by creating soft links.
- Managing dependencies: Linking to external libraries or dependencies for easier management.
- Creating temporary files: Creating temporary files or directories using soft links for testing or debugging.
Sharing Files
- Sharing files across devices: Creating soft links to files on one device and accessing them from another.
- Collaborating with others: Sharing files with colleagues or team members by creating soft links.
Customizing File System
- Creating custom directories: Creating custom directories using soft links to organize files in a specific way. (This is the quiet frequent use-case I need to create links for)
System Administration
- Configuring applications: Linking to configuration files or data directories.
It said these are only a few such use-cases. Should I ask for more?
Only creating custom navigation structure without moving the original files, and system administration tasks are valid.
The rest are redundant or made up non-sense.
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